Union of Citizens of Georgia

The Union of Citizens of Georgia was a social democratic political party founded by Eduard Shevardnadze in 1995. It was established as a vehicle for modernizing politicians, and it attracted young reformers such as Mikheil Saakashvili, Zurab Zhvania, and Nino Burjanadze before falling victim to Georgia's endemic corruption and Shevardnadze's increasing use of electoral manipulation. In 2001, Saakashvili left the party due to Shevardnadze's unwillingness to challenge the corruption in the country, and, by June 2003, Saakashvili, Zhvania, and Burjanadze formed the opposition United National Movement. On 23 November 2003, Shevardnadze was forced to resign by massive popular demonstrations in the "Rose Revolution", and the party became inactive.